Olmert speaking at the ceremony
Photo: AFP
Olmert with Ethiopian leaders
Photo: AP
Ethiopians can look back in pride, says Olmert
In a ceremony dedicating a monument to Ethiopian Jews who died during immigration, Olmert admits Israel did not treat them well, but says they have come a long way with a bright future ahead
"The Ethiopian immigrants did not find a rose paradise here," Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Wednesday at ceremony dedicating a monument to the memory of 4,000 Ethiopian Jews who died on their way to Israel.
Remembering
More than two decades after they were brought to Israel, State finally completes construction of monument commemorating 4,000 Ethiopian Jews who perished on journey to holy land
Also taking part in the ceremony held at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl were Minister of Immigrant Absorption Ze'ev Boim, Chairman of Executive of The Jewish Agency Zeev Bielski and heads of the Ethiopian community.
"The promised land did not explain things to the Ethiopian immigrants, despite the fact that the State of Israel has invested great efforts and resources in absorbing the immigrants, and I promise that it will keep investing as much as is necessary," said Olmert.
Olmert at the ceremony (Photo: AP)
"The Israeli society is known for always loving immigration, but is not welcoming them wholeheartedly. Experience shows that it's especially difficult when there are significant differences between the new immigrants and the absorbing society. Quite a few of the past immigrations to Israel suffered alienation, discrimination and prejudice, but in the long run, the Israeli melting pot has proven itself well."
The prime minister said that he was amazed every time he saw IDF officers, students, professionals and academics from the Ethiopian community.
"Even if the hard times are not over yet, the Ethiopian immigrant community in Israel can look back in pride on the chapter of courage it has recorded in the history of Zionist realization, and look forward to its sons and daughters' bright future in Israel," said Olmert.
"The monument we are dedicating today symbolizes the victory of the Jewish spirit," said Minister Boim, "This is a symbol of the State of Israel's recognition of its sons and daughters that paid with their lives to immigrate to Israel, a symbol of the unbreakable link between the holy land and the Jewish people in Israel and in the Diaspora."
The mass exodus of the Ethiopian Jews began in the years 1983-1984, when they began to move towards the Sudanese border in secret.
In camps in Sudan and along the way, the Ethiopians were victims of murder, rape, disease, robbery and hunger.
In November 1984 some 8,000 immigrants were brought to Israel in Operation Moses. Since the secret operation was uncovered, many of them did not make it to Israel until Operation Solomon in 1991, when some 14,000 immigrants were brought to Israel within 36 hours.
Today, the Ethiopian community in Israel numbers some 110,495 people, out of which 75,969 are immigrants and 34,526 are Israel-born, and make up 31.2 percent of the Ethiopian Jews.
